March 30, 2010

Comfy Belly

This site/blog has all kinds of really yummy looking SCD recipes, mouth is watering!
Comfy Belly
I think I will try to make this for Easter:
Cranberry Upside Down Cake
Ingredients
  • 2 1/2 cups of fresh or defrosted cranberries
  • 5 tablespoons of butter
  • 1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon
  • 1/2 cup of honey plus 2 tablespoons
  • 1/2 cup of plain yogurt (I used half & half yogurt)
  • 1 teaspoon of vanilla
  • 2 eggs
  • pinch of salt (in the cake batter)
  • 1 teaspoon of baking soda
  • 2 cups of almond flour
Preparation
  1. Preheat oven to 310 degrees F.
  2. Place the cranberries, cinnamon, 2 tablespoons of butter and 2 tablespoons of honey in a large frying pan and cook about 5 minutes, until the cranberries just slightly tender.
  3. In a bowl, blend yogurt, eggs, 1/2 cup of honey, and vanilla together. Next, add 3 tablespoons of melted butter and blend well.
  4. Add all the dry ingredients (flour, baking  soda, and pinch of salt) to the wet mixture, and blend well.
  5. Separate the cranberries from the juice that formed when cooking. In a buttered baking pan (I used an 8 inch spring-form pan) or spring-form pan (I also add a circle cut-out of parchment paper to the bottom of my pan) place the cranberries on the bottom. Lay them out fairly evenly.
  6. Next, pour the batter over the cranberries until covered. Even out the batter.
  7. Bake for about 40 minutes, or until the center is not wiggly. The top will be starting to brown and a toothpick will come out clean. Cool completely and turn over on to a plate.

The Specific Carbohydrate Diet

So I just found out that I have ulcerative colitis and have been doing a little research on what the heck it is and how can I get better. I joined a support group and kept reading so much about the Specific Carbohydrate Diet (SCD) and decided to give it a try. Basically I feel like what I eat is the only thing I have control over when it comes to this disease so I am going to make sure that I am putting the best things into my body so that I can get over this flare up as soon as possible and hopefully not have another flare up for a long long time (if ever?!?). I won't go into much detail, because you can google it if you want to but basically the easier something is for my body to break down the better...so that means simple carbohydrates and to stay away from complex carbohydrates.

Here is a basic list of foods that are "legal" (but again this still might vary from person to person and will have to be a sort of trial and error type of thing):
Meats, Poultry, Fish, Eggs
Butter, Whipping Cream, Half and Half, Homemade yogurt (it has to ferment for 24+ hours instead of the mere 4 hours that store bought yogurt ferments), hard aged cheese (like cheddar and parmesan), dry curd cottage cheese, homemade ice cream
Fruits (the softer the better while flaring and you can cook them so they are soft, eating a lot of really ripe bananas right now also had some mango)
Vegetables (cooked and seeded...trial and error, staying away from "gassy" vegetables right now)
Dried beans (while not flaring if tolerated)'
Fresh squeezed juice, welches grape juice, dry wine, clear liquor
Honey (this is the sweetener..NO SUGAR!)

So far it is going pretty good, I am looking forward to making my own yogurt and cream cheese! Here are a few recipes that we have had and really liked (the boys included):

Pancakes:
1 1/4 cup almond flour
3 large eggs (beaten)
4 Tb honey
2 Tb vanilla (make sure the vanilla is just vanilla and alcohol...nothing else!)
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 Tb butter

Mix everything except butter until pancake batter consistancy. Melt butter and use a little at a time in your pan or skillet. This recipe is better if you make smaller 2-3" sized pancakes, flip when bubbles start forming. Enjoy with honey or fruit if you can tolerate it (Landon liked them plain).

Parmesan Squash
1/2 cup chopped green onion (I didn't use this)
2Tb butter
3 cups mashed, cooked winter squash (like acorn or butternut)
1 cup grated parmesan cheese
4 eggs, beaten
1 to 2 Tb honey
1/2 tsp dry mustard
1/4 tsp pepper

Heat oven to 305, Oil 3 qt casserole dish. Cook onion in butter until tender, set aside. Mix squash, cheese, eggs, honey, mustard, and pepper (also onions if you use them). Pour into greased dish and bake for 30-40 minutes or until set.

Salmon Fillet
1/4 cup lemon juice
3 Tb EVOO
3 cups chopped tomatoes (skinned and seeded if necessary)
1 cup chopped onion
1 large garlic clove
1/4 tsp coriander
1/4 tsp cumin
1 Tb honey
salt, pepper, parsley

Chill fish in a little lemon juice and sprinkle it with salt. Heat oven to 350.
Saute onion, garlic, and spices in oil. Add tomatoes, honey, and lemon juice and simmer for 15 minutes. Pour sauce over fish, season with salt, pepper, and parsley. Bake for 20-30 minutes.

(Very good! it also called for olives but Ted doesn't like them and I don't love them so I left them out)

I have also made some gluten free muffins, gluten free pasta with pesto (my boys really like pesto sauce and I added shrimp for them because they love shrimp).

One thing that I could not live without right now is my Advocare meal replacement shakes. Tons of vitamins and minerals, TONS of protein and very easy to digest.

More recipes to comes...as I try them and if we like them!

Here are some ideas that I look forward to making and trying


Breakfast ideas:

Banana pancakes -1
Pear pancakes - 1
Butternut squash pancakes-2
Nut butter pancakes-2
Nut butter cake/muffins -2
Scrambled eggs - I
Hard Boiled Eggs - Intro
Dairy free smoothies - 1
Pear sauce - 1
Soup in a Mug - Intro

Lunch and Dinner ideas:

Broiled hamburger patty - Intro
Broiled Chicken Burger - Intro
Baked Chicken - 2
Roast Chicken (meat only) - Intro
Chicken Pancakes - Intro
Sneaky muffins w/chicken w/o flour-Intro
Chicken carrot soup - Intro
Well steamed carrots - Intro
Pureed Carrots - Intro
Mashed butternut squash - 2
Squash French fries - 2
Carrot curls/chips - 4
Egg pizza (varies depending
on ingredients)


Snack ideas:

Nut butter cake w/o flour-2
Pear sauce - 1
Apple sauce - 1
Ripe bananas - 1
Squash French fries - 2
Carrot curls/chips - 4
Nut butter muffins - 2
Boiled eggs - Intro
Dairy free smoothie - 1
Gelatin/Jigglers - Intro
Squash Buttons - 2
Nut-free Dairy-free bread -1

March 10, 2010

My Boys

First of all, HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my biggest boy...Ted, I hope 27 is a wonderful year for you!

Just wanted to write down a few things the boys have been saying and doing before I forget!

Landon: I wish Christmas was over...translation, he is ready for winter to be over

Landon: You look like a real princess in that dancing dress...I had on my bridesmaid dress for my sisters wedding, he asked me the next 3 days to wear that dress.

Trevor: moved on from I love you to the moon and back to...I love you more than all the cookies and candy in the world

The other day Landon wanted Trevor to marry him:
Landon with a plastic soccer ball ring: Trevor, will you marry me?
Trevor: No.
Landon: Trreevor, will you marry me?
Trevor: NO!
Landon (whinning): But Trevor, you are my favorite and I love you the most.
Trevor: NNnnnOOooooo!
Landon: Mom, will you marry me?
Me: I would love to marry you, Landon then puts the ring on my finger

Trevor: He was nursing his baby doll the other day, lifted his shirt and everything.

Ethan: Trying to walk more than crawl now, unless he wants to get somewhere fast. He is saying mama, dada, bu bu (for bye bye), waving, pointing, also says ba (for ball), and LOVES being outside!

March 6, 2010

My First Skirt

I just finished crocheting my first skirt and am quite pleased at how it turned out. Pictures don't really do this justice. I can't wait to try different sizes and all different colors of yarn. Ethan is modeling (don't tell Ted!)